Seasons of the Heart
by Shtuff
Summary: Time flies so quickly. You blink and your life is over. A series of one-shots on Team Yellow Flash. Various ratings, various genres. AU. Shards of the Heart Universe.
1. Family

**AN: **Well, this is Seasons of the Heart. A series of unrelated one-shots about Team Yellow Flash. It exists in the Shards universe, so if you haven't read Shards of the Heart, I recommend you do that before reading this. Everything will make make a lot more sense.

I'm also going to take requests for scenarios. Nothing above T rating though. Keep it discreet please.

Enjoy! 

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**Title: **Family**  
**

**Genre: **Drama 

**Rating:**PG

**Summary: **_He always was the odd one out.  
_

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He had always been the odd one out—the black sheep, the stain, the disgrace. For as long as he could remember, he was different from the other members of his clan. He wanted different things, believed different things. For the first thirteen years of his life, his was the black mark of the Uchiha clan. He always came up short. He could never do anything right, no matter how hard he tried. He was a loudmouth, ignorant, thick-headed. Those were the things they said about him when they thought he wasn't listening. 

Sometimes, they even said it to his face. 

_You'll never amount to anything. _

_Look at you! You're a disgrace to the Uchiha name. _

_I don't know where you came from, but you aren't one of us. _

He pretended he didn't care, pretended the words didn't sting. He plastered a smile on his face to hide the hurt. To show them they weren't affecting him. He was lying through his teeth, but they never saw it. 

Kakashi did though, and Rin. They always knew what was in his heart, saw the things he worked so hard to hide. At first Kakashi scoffed at what he found there, deep inside Obito, but Rin merely smiled and accepted him for what he was. 

That was part of why he loved her. 

Then, a brutal mission nearly tore their souls apart and stole Kakashi's eyes. The Hatake prodigy started seeing him differently, grudgingly accepted him for who he was. And Obito came out of the mission with a fully developed Sharingan and a driving determination to do better, to _succeed._

He wanted to show his clan that he did belong. That he was one of them. 

But even after he became a jounin, then an ANBU, and made a name for himself in every nation on the continent—the Copy Ninja, they called him—his clan never changed their view of him. Even though he worked himself into the ground to be better, they turned their eyes on Uchiha Itachi instead. Itachi, who had everything Obito had worked so hard for by the time he was seven. 

Obito was still different. He still didn't belong. He still wanted different things, believed in different things. They still said things to him, called him unprofessional, a loudmouth, immature. They still scoffed at him, picked him apart. 

_Why can't you be more like your cousin Itachi? _

_Why can't you learn to grow up? _

_You're a disgrace to this clan, always acting so childish! _

But now, the words didn't sting. He didn't have to pretend. Because now, he didn't need to belong, didn't _want_to belong. He saw the Uchiha for what they were—arrogant, prejudiced, stubborn. And he didn't want to be like that.

He stopped wearing the fan symbol, quit ANBU, and became a teacher at the Academy along with Kakashi and Rin. In retaliation, the Uchiha disowned him. It didn't matter. There was nothing for him within the walls of the compound. He was realizing that there never had been. 

And with the weight gone he was free, he was alive. Kakashi and Rin looked at him and smiled. 

"Finally," they said, "you realize that you were born to be different." 

He wished it hadn't taken him so long to understand. He wished he hadn't wasted so much time trying to accomplish the impossible. But he enjoyed the life he had and lived with no regrets. 

Then, when he was twenty-one, a messenger pounded on his door one morning and told him that his clan was dead, massacred. At first he couldn't believe it, couldn't comprehend how one of the greatest clans in Konoha's history could simply be _gone_. In the blink of eye extinguished forever. 

But then he saw the compound, the bodies of his clan members, and he realized it was true. At first it didn't sink in, didn't really hit him until two days later when in the middle of washing dishes at the apartment he shared with Kakashi he finally comprehended that his clan was dead. He was the last one. 

The dish shattered on the floor, a small piece of him shattering with it. That simple bit of knowledge _hurt_, hurt so much that he clutched a hand over his heart and sank into a chair. He cried for a long time before Kakashi came home and, instantly realizing that something was wrong, sat down beside him. 

Without a word his teammate and best friend wrapped his arms around Obito and let him cry, rubbing his back gently. Two days later, a mass funeral was held for Konoha's greatest clan. Every ninja in the village was there, wanting to give their condolences. 

Somehow, Obito got through it, though he felt dazed and slightly numb. The only other survivor, Sasuke, was half his age and seemed to be handling it twice as well. But it finally ended, and after everyone had gone home Obito sat down and tried to comprehend would life would be like without his clan. 

It frightened him. Sasuke was his responsibility now and he didn't know where to begin with that. He found himself wondering, why him? He had been the dropout, the loser, the disgrace; the one who could never get it right. Yet he was the one who survived. 

That was simply so ironic he had to laugh. 

Yet the laugh was bitter and his heart was heavy and he felt so alone he wanted to cry all over again. But then, an armed slung itself around his shoulders and a hand rested on his forearm and he looked up into the eyes of his two lifelong teammates. 

The two pairs of eyes that looked back told him he wasn't alone. He never would be. They were here. And some of the weight lifted. Kakashi pulled him to his feet and Rin hugged him and then they treated him to dinner. By the end of the night, he was smiling again.

He had come to another miraculous conclusion—he could move with life just fine. Because the Uchiha had been his _clan,_but Kakashi and Rin were his _family._

* * *

  



	2. Cinema

**AN: **Another one-shot for you! I'm sorry if it's terrible. Humor is not my best forte. Hopefully it didn't come out too cheesy. 

Enjoy! And review! 

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**Title:**Cinema

**Genre:**Humor 

**Rating:** K

**Summary: **_I can't believe I let Obito talk me into this._

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"C'mon, Kakashi, this is going to be fun." 

I want to hit him, honestly. I want to pound him into the dust. Whatever possessed him to come up with a stupid idea like this? Wait, he's Obito, stupid ideas are _all_ he ever comes up with. Why does he want to celebrate? Sure, the war is over and our Sensei just got named Hokage, but there are so many names etched on the Memorial Stone. So many good people who have died. 

I can hear Obito's retreating footsteps. He's hurrying off to buy us tickets. This is a stupid idea. Yeah, maybe we _should_ celebrate, maybe we _did_ earn it, but has he forgotten the fact that I'm blind? 

"Okay, I got them!" His voice is loud and right next to my ear, making me jump. 

Crossing my arms, I turn to him and frown. "Don't do that." 

"Geez," Obito shoves some kind of paper in my hand—my ticket. "What put you in such a bad mood?" 

I don't know, really. Maybe it's just the fact that the war is over. The war that has been going on for my whole life is _over. _And for some reason, I feel like my life is ending with it. Because I've come to the horrible realization that I am fourteen and the only thing I know how to do is _kill._

But, I don't know how to put that into words for Obito so I just shrug. He claps me on the back and turns away. I can hear footsteps crunching on the grass and know it's the third, and most important, member of our team. 

"Hey, Kakashi," she says. Over the past couple months she's been really attached to me, more so than usual. I think she's afraid to lose me again. 

I don't mind her attention. In fact, I might go as far to say that I enjoy it. But don't tell anyone that, especially Obito. 

"Hi, Rin," I murmur, squeezing her hand. I can feel her smile, the warmth radiating from it. As lame as that sounds. 

"Here's your ticket, Rin!" 

I hear a rustle of paper as Rin takes the ticket. "Thanks, Obito. What time does it start?" 

There is a pause, probably Obito checking the ticket for the correct information. "3:30. Which means we need to go get seats." 

Rin takes my hand and I allow her to lead me into the cool building. It is nice to get out of the summer heat. People are talking all around me, laughing and yelling out to each other. It grates on me ears, but I try not to show my discomfort. For Rin's sake. 

Obito already knows how I feel about all this. 

Finally, Obito finds where we're supposed to go, and Rin leads me down a row of chairs. We sit somewhere near the middle. I'm stuck between my two teammates. Rin probably wants to help me through this. Obito just wants to make sure I don't run away. 

"This is a pointless activity," I mutter, mostly to get Obito annoyed. 

It works. "Just shut up, Kakashi. I've wanted to do this since I was little." 

"We should be doing something useful," I argue. 

"Sensei gave us some time off." 

"But…."

"It's okay, Kakashi, be a normal teenager for once." His voice is stern yet holds a gentle edge to it. 

But he doesn't get it. I don't know _how_ to be a teenager. All I've ever been is a warrior. 

"I'm trying," I mutter angrily, knowing I'm being childish. 

This is a simple, relaxing means of entertainment for most people. Unfortunately, it's hard when you're blind. 

People around us are telling us to shush and I can hear sound beginning to echo around the room, blasting from the speakers. The noise is deafening and I wince. Rin's fingers slip through mine, quietly comforting me. 

I shoot a quiet smile in her direction. At least, I think it's her direction. The noise is now more than just noise, voices are coming through. 

"_You … you don't love me?" _

Oh no. Please no. Please tell me that Obito did not drag me in here to sit through some sappy romantic comedy. _Please._ Or some romantic drama. That would be worse. 

Much worse. 

"_I … I don't know. This will take time. I need time to figure things out. And I'm leaving tomorrow, to join the army." _

My skin is crawling. How can Obito make me sit here and listen to this without dying of guilt? This was torture. 

Someone on the screen is crying, loud girlish sobs that make me feel like screaming. I can feel Rin's hand tightening on my own, hear her seat creak as she leans forward. Sappy movies always have been here weakness. 

"_I don't want you to go!" _

I sigh, leaning back in my seat. This is going to be one long movie. 

"_He's dead! He can't be dead!" _

More crying. I think I'm going to go insane pretty soon. This is supposed to be _fun?_ What normal teenager would sit through this? 

_"My love. I will find a way back to you." _

Oh please. From the way she acts she's not worth it. I bet she isn't even as pretty as Rin. Wait … where did _that_ thought come from? 

"_Whatever … it takes. I will … come home." _

This guy has guts I admit. I wonder what he looks like. I wonder what everyone in this movie looks like. It's so frustrating when they just play loud music and there's not dialog to at least give you a clue to what's going on. 

I hate being blind. 

Stupid Obito. I don't like him very much right now, either. 

_"It's … it's you! I can't believe it's you!" _

Does this girl do anything but cry? The love of her life just came home after being thought dead for five years. She should be _happy._

"_I can't believe you're here. All these years, I've waited for you to come. I've … always believed you would come back one day … in my heart." _

Kill me now. Please, just kill me now. I don't want to sit and listen to this anymore. 

"_Of course I came back. I promised, didn't it? I love you, so much. I will never leave you again. Never." _

I think I'm going to be sick. 

_"I love you, too. So much." _

Wait … no talking. Are they … are they _kissing?_ Ugh … I wish I could see. This is just too weird. And did Rin just go "aw" next to me? Or … was it Obito? 

They're playing music. The credits must be rolling. I can here people talking again. Thank goodness. 

I just sat through a two hour long, sappy romantic love story without being able to see a thing. I think that is a major accomplishment.

Rin takes my arm again. "That was a good movie," she sighs. "I knew he was going to come back." 

I sigh. "Of course he was. It's a romantic drama. Nothing is ever realistic about those." 

Obito snorts behind me. "C'mon, Kakashi. Loosen up a little. It was just a movie! Did you enjoy it?" 

I frown, deciding to be blunt. Even if Rin is here. "Not really. Try closing your eyes next time and don't open them until the credits roll. Then you'll understand." 

Rin's grip tightens on my hand. "I'm sorry, Kakashi," she murmurs and I instantly feel bad. This isn't her fault. She even whispered what was happening to me during the loud music parts. Obito just ignored me. 

"It's okay." I smile at her. "I've been through worse things." 

I can't think of any right now but… she doesn't need to know that. 

Obito's voice has a sly note to it. "I bet you secretly liked it." 

How can he think a thing like that? I was about to throw up near the end from the sheer sappiness of it all. "No. I didn't. It's too unrealistic." 

"You _are_ in a bad mood today," now Obito's voice sounds upset. 

I sigh for what has to be the hundredth time today. I suppose I can be nicer about all this. For some reason, I'm stuck in my old—can't feel, I'm a human weapon mode today. I don't want to hurt my teammates, really. 

Even Obito. 

"Sorry."

Rin's squeezing my hand again. She is so forgiving. I love it about her. But don't tell Obito I said that either. "It's okay." 

"But you have to name one good thing about the movie." 

Forget what I said earlier. I _do_ want to hurt Obito. 

"Must I?" 

"Yes."

"Go ahead, Kakashi." Rin, why are you betraying me? 

"Fine." I sift through the parts of the movie I was able to understand. "I liked that the guy didn't give up, no matter what." 

Obito claps me on the back for the second time today. "See! That wasn't so hard." 

No … it wasn't, but I'm not going to let him know that. So I just settle for a neutral. "Hn." 

"Let's get lunch!" Obito crows, still very close to my ear. 

"Are you paying?" Rin sounds happier than she's been in a long time. Maybe the movie was worthwhile after all. 

"Rin! I paid for the tickets!" 

The words are coming out my mouth and for some reason I can't stop them. "I'll pay for lunch." 

I suppose it's the least I can do, to make up for the bad mood I've been in all day. 

Obito shouts in delight and races ahead, jabbering nonsense about this great place he knows. Rin slips her hand through mine again. There's a smile in her voice that warms my heart. "Thanks for doing this, Kakashi." 

I squeeze her hand gently. "You're Welcome, Rin." 

Maybe the movie was worth it after all. Maybe we _did _need it. But I don't think I will be going to the cinema anytime in the near future. And I will _never_ tell Obito he was right. 


	3. Familiarity

**AN: **Wow, another humorous story. I'm amazing myself. Humor usually isn't my best topic. Please let me know what you guys think. I love getting feedback, it keeps me going and helps me to improve my writing. Thanks to everyone who has been reviewing this, you guys are great. And to the people who are reviewing Shards. Even though it was posted before, I'm revamping it and I love hearing what you guys think of the changes.

Well, that's all I've got. Moving right along to the main event...

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**Title: **Familiarity

**Genre: **Humor

**Rating: **K

**Summary: **_Some things are better left unchanged._

* * *

Kakashi wearily twisted the key in the lock on his apartment door. When he heard the faint click, he pulled the key out and shoved the door open, stumbling through it into the hallway. Three weeks. Not long by shinobi standards, but he felt like he had been gone for a year, and hadn't slept in that long either. Sighing, Kakashi nudged the door shut behind him and dropped the keys on the table to his right … or dropped them where the table _should _have been.

The blind jounin froze when he heard the keys thud against the apartment floor. Reaching out quickly, he stuck his hand in the spot that should have been occupied by the table. All he found was empty air. Closing his eyes, Kakashi tried hard not to panic and find a valid reason for the table not being in the place it had sat for the past thirteen years. Someone must have moved it.

But who? And why?

The next thought that bloomed in his mind made him straighten and tense with dread. What if the rest of the furniture had been rearranged as well? Moving forward, down the hall, Kakashi dropped his pack on the floor and rounded the corner into the main room of the apartment. Taking a deep breath, Kakashi took three tentative steps into the apartment … and crashed into something large and solid.

The air left his lungs in a whoosh and he opened his mouth to quickly draw more in while placing his hands on the foreign object to steady himself. He felt soft fabric beneath his fingertips and frowned. He had found the couch. But it didn't feel like his couch. It felt softer, newer, and didn't hold any of the rips or tears it should have.

_Am I in the wrong apartment? _

Kakashi swallowed at the notion. His key had worked in the lock. But could he have opened the wrong door? Pushing away from the couch Kakashi strained to hear any sounds of another occupant. There was nothing but empty silence and he got the distinct impression that he was alone. Deciding to explore a bit more, Kakashi extended his hands out in front of him—a gesture that made him feel like a useless cripple—and began to move forward.

After a few seconds his fingers brushed the worn wood of a kitchen table, feet away from where it should have been. It _felt _like his table. The rough gouges made by wear and tear, and some of Obito's weapons, were there. His frown growing deeper, he headed for the cupboards and pulled one open. Reaching a hand inside slowly, as if there was a monster waiting, Kakashi sucked in a deep breath when he felt cups where plates should have been.

He drew his hand out as though it had been burned and stood there for a moment in stupefied silence. Someone had changed his apartment around. That alone shocked him. This place had not been altered in thirteen years. He knew every nook, every cranny, the location of every item. He and Obito had methodically kept in the same. This was his one comfortable place, where he could get around and do things all on his own. But now?

He bit his lip beneath his mask and inched his way toward the fridge, avoiding kitchen chairs innocently blocking his path. It was only when he opened the fridge and discovered that the food had been rearranged that Kakashi truly panicked.

* * *

Obito wearily twisted the key in the lock on his apartment door, glad to be home from his long solo mission. All he wanted to do was take a hot shower, have a decent meal, and sleep for a month. Not necessarily in the order. When the locked clicked, the Uchiha pulled the key out and shoved the door open. He had barely taken two steps into the apartment when he realized something was wrong. The table was missing from its usually spot to the right of the door and Kakashi's keys were lying on the floor in its place.

Panic welled within him and Obito ran down the hall, worried that something had happened to his teammate. He passed Kakashi's pack, not bothering to dump his own beside it, and rounded the corner into the main room. The sight that met his eyes made him stop cold and gape. All the furniture was in a different location, there was a new couch, and Kakashi was sitting on it staring off into space.

"What happened?" Obito asked.

Kakashi turned to look at him and Obito saw the barely repressed panic in his eyes. "I don't know. Someone moved everything. Even the stuff in the cupboards and the food in the fridge."

"What!" Obito yelled, rattling the roof with the volume of his voice. He was ready to go out and kill whoever had invaded their personal space, especially since that person had _changed _their personal space.

"Yeah," Kakashi replied dully, but Obito could sense the underlying frustration. Kakashi hated it when he felt helpless.

"Who do you think did it?" the Uchiha growled, wanting suspects he could go beat into the dust.

"I don't know. Someone who was pulling a practical joke, maybe?"

"But there isn't a single jounin I know of that would violate our personal space like that."

Kakashi shrugged. "I don't know where anything is," he murmured. "For the first time in nearly twelve years, I _can't _find _anything." _

Obito frowned, looking over at his teammate. Kakashi's hands were fisting in the fabric of the new couch, a sure sign of frustration. "Hang on," he said, trying to reassure his best friend. "I'll run over and get Rin and we'll sort this whole mess out. Then we can find out who did it and beat them senseless."

Kakashi nodded, a long sigh slipping out from behind his mask. "I'll be right here."

"Be back in a few!" Obito yelled and bolted out the door, nearly forgetting to close it in his haste.

Left in his wake, Kakashi slouched back against the couch pillows, frowning. Why would someone rearrange their apartment as a cruel joke and give them a new couch? Unless the couch was absolutely hideous and they thought it would be funny. Kakashi sat upright at that, grabbing one of the couch pillows. He blinked down at where he held it, but as usual nothing but darkness.

_I wonder what color it is, _he mused as he ran a hand over the couch pillow. Another horrifying thought nearly made him drop it. What if the couch was green? A deep, hideous green. Like Gai's jumpsuit.

Kakashi shuddered and fought the urge to stand up. No one would buy them a couch like that, right? He hoped not. He _hated _green. Especially when Gai wore it. For some reason the other jounin made green look more hideous than normal. Especially with those orange leg warmers. Kakashi frowned, straightening even more. What if the couch was _orange? _That would be far worse than green. If there was one color he hated more than green it was orange. But put them both together… Kakashi swallowed. What if the couch was _both _colors? Green couch, orange pillows. Orange couch, green pillows. Either way …

_Oh no._

* * *

"Hey, I'm back!" Obito called, closing the door behind him and Rin.

Rin walked ahead of him down the hall, turning the corner hurriedly. "Kakashi?" She found him almost instantly, still sitting on the couch.

"Rin?" he asked, glancing up at her.

"Hey, I'm here to help you get everything sorted out. What stupid person would have done this anyway?" his teammate asked, glancing around the apartment. "It looks awful."

"Rin, what color is the couch?"

"What?"

"Just answer the question, please."

"Beige."

"And the pillows?"

"Beige."

Kakashi sighed in relief, sagging back against the new couch. He liked it a lot better, knowing what color it was.

Rin and Obito set to work, attacking the apartment with fury. Kakashi helped where he could, mostly dictating from the safety of the couch. After about an hour and a half the apartment was back to the way it had always been and the three jounins collapsed on the couch.

"Who do you think did it?" Rin asked after a moment.

"I don't care who it was, they're going to pay."

Kakashi frowned thoughtfully, tilting his head toward the ceiling. "I don't think they meant it as a joke. They gave us a new couch and cleaned the whole apartment. They must have meant well."

Obito sorted. "They even cleaned my room!" He cried in outrage. "I knew where everything was, too."

Kakashi and Rin simultaneously rolled their eyes.

A faint knock on the front door made them all climb wearily to their feet. Now that the crisis was over, the fatigue of their separate missions was catching up with them. Obito stumbled down the hall and pulled the door open.

"Sakura?" he murmured in surprise, looking down at his pink-haired student.

"Hi, Obito-sensei," Sakura said. "I came over to see how you like the apartment. I cleaned and organized it for you. And I threw out that old couch. Naruto, Sasuke and I pulled our money to buy you a new one. I hope you don't mind."

Obito was stunned speechless. Never had he thought his student would be the culprit. And he couldn't beat up Sakura. She had obviously meant well.

Sakura took his silence as a bad thing. "You didn't like it?" She said, looking horrified.

Obito struggled to find a way to explain things delicately. There was none. "Umm… It's not that I didn't like it, Sakura. It's just that, Kakashi's blind, as you know, and he knew where everything was in this apartment. We've kept it the same way so he would always be able to find his way around. When you changed everything … it kind of threw him off."

Sakura looked mortified and about ready to burst into tears. "I'm so sorry," she cried. "I didn't know."

Obito swallowed, silently praying that she wouldn't burst into tears on his doorstep. "I know you didn't know. That's why we're not mad at you."

"I feel so terrible…" Sakura sniffed, wiping her eyes.

Obito gulped, feeling horrible. "It'll be fine, Sakura. Why don't you head home, okay? You can apologize to Kakashi in the morning."

Sakura nodded and hurried away, still holding back tears.

Obito sighed in relief and quickly closed the door, not wanting her to come back.

"Who was that?" Rin asked when he returned to the main room. She and Kakashi had resumed their positions on the couch.

"It sounded like Sakura," Kakashi added.

"It was. She's our culprit."

"Sakura?" Both Rin and Kakashi asked, confused.

"Yeah. She was trying to do us a favor. She was mortified when I told her why it didn't work."

"Oh," Kakashi said, shaking his head. "Well, that's that, I guess. Now that this crisis is solved, I'm going to bed."

Obito nodded. "Right behind you," he murmured.

"Thanks, Rin," both said as they stumbled toward their bedrooms.

"Anytime," Rin replied and slipped out the open window, taking to the rooftops as she headed for her own apartment.

* * *

A month later, Kakashi slipped the key into the lock on the front door, twisted it, pushed the door open, and stumbled inside. Obito closed the door behind him and both wearily kicked their sandals off.

"Home, yes," Obito mumbled, dumping his pack in the hallway. "Shower … bed … food." Kakashi chuckled as his teammate moved as fast as possible down the hall.

The silver haired jounin stopped to set his pack down and prop Obito's upright. A crash from the apartment made him jump. Wondering what could possibly be wrong, he hurried into the main room.

"What is it?"

Obito answered from the floor. "I tripped over something. There's some kind of animal in our apartment."

Kakashi blinked in confusion. "Animal?" Just then, something brushed against his leg. The jounin nearly fell over in surprise. "What's brushing my leg?" he asked, not daring to move.

"A cat," Obito murmured in amazement. "It's a cat."

"A cat?" Kakashi echoed. "Why is there a cat in our apartment?"

"Hold on," Obito said, climbing to his feet. "There's a note on the table."

He picked it up and slowly began to read. "_'Kakashi-sensei, Obito-sensei, I thought you might be lonely so I got you a cat. I hope you don't mind_. _Sakura'_."

Kakashi bent down slowly and picked the cat up. It began purring instantly. "What color's the cat?"

"Black, just great," Obito grumbled, crumpling up the note.

"What should we call it?"

"You want to keep it?"

"I don't know about you but I would rather not deal with a guilty Sakura again.

Obito thought back to a month ago. Sakura had apologized to Kakashi the next morning. And every morning after that for the next two weeks. Finally, Kakashi had convinced the girl that no, he wasn't mad at her, no he didn't hate her, and yes he understood why she had done it.

"You're right," the Uchiha decided. "Let's keep the cat."

Kakashi's eyes crinkled in a smile. "What should we call it?"

"How 'bout Cat?"

"Cat? A cat named Cat?"

"Why not?"

Kakashi shook his head. "You're hopeless."

"Fine," Obito said defensively. "You think of something."

Obito crossed his arms and waited smugly as Kakashi struggled to come up with a name. After a full minute of fruitless thinking, he sighed. "Fine, Cat it is."

Obito smirked.

Later that evening, the two teammates sat on the new couch with the cat curled up between them.

"Why did she think we'd be lonely if we live together?" Obito asked.

Kakashi lifted his shoulders in a faint shrug, eyes closed. "Don't you love well-meaning students?"

"Humph."

* * *

That's all for now, folks! More to follow.


	4. Tobito

Seasons of the Heart

**AN: **Because I simply couldn't resist.

Thank you for all your reviews. You guys keep me writing. Seriously.

* * *

**Title: **Tobito

**Genre: **General

**Rating:** K+

**Summary: **_A whole new twist on the Tobito theory._

* * *

_This scarf is really itchy. _

It was the only thought his brain could form and under the current circumstances, it was far from impressive. A surprisingly cold wind cut through the trees, tearing petals from their resting places and whisking them away to dance among the clouds. The sun was waking up, arms of light stretching across the sky, lazily pushing back the darkness.

Apart from the wind through the old trees, the forest was silent, still slumbering in peaceful oblivion. The multiple emotions churning through him were painfully at odds with quiet calm all around him.

He licked his lips, feeling chapped skin beneath his tongue, and tried to find words to force out of his dry throat. A few feet away, Kakashi seemed to be facing the same dilemma.

The wind dipped down, gripping his scarf and pulling on the ends harshly, trying to drag him away too. He stood his ground, frowning in annoyance and wondering why he had bothered to wear the stupid garment in the first place.

_Because this outfit was in desperate need of color. _

Blinking, Obito glanced down at his black pants, black shirt, and black gloves and couldn't help but agree. The bolts on the armor made it difficult to move his arms at times, adding weight he wasn't accustomed to.

_I'll have to work on that. _

The thought was the first marginally intelligent one he'd had all morning. He applauded himself silently for it.

Kakashi shifted his weight and grass cracked and bent beneath his sandals. "So…" he managed, breaking the silence. No more words came and the single one hung awkwardly in the air, demanding completion.

Obito swallowed. "I guess … this is it."

Kakashi's sightless eyes shifted to the ground as he nodded in pained agreement, saying nothing.

The third member of the their team was absent and they felt it like a knife to the heart. She should've gotten the chance to say good-bye, but the higher ups had sent her off on a trivial mission to Wave Country. Obito felt a twinge of anger over that, but it soon faded back into numbness.

Kakashi was struggling to speak again. "This will be some mission, huh?"

Obito let a tired sigh escape his lips. "Yeah."

_It'll be nothing without you and Rin, Kakashi. Nothing._

A small part of him was excited about the mission, anticipating the thrill of such a great challenge, but the rest ached at leaving, being separated from his team. It was something that hadn't occurred in years.

He hated to leave his students too. He wanted to watch them grow strong, help them on their tough journey. Instead, he was embarking on the most dangerous mission of his career.

And he didn't know if he was coming back.

"Would you…" he paused for a moment, trying to keep tears at bay. "Look after Naruto and Sakura for me?"

Kakashi nodded. "Of course."

More silence, awkward and laced with tension.

Obtio desperately tried to put some levity into the situation. "This should be interesting. I've never been on a mission like this."

Kakashi managed a weak smile. "Akatsuki won't know what hit them."

Obito chuckled dryly. "Yeah. It'll be fun messing with their brains a bit."

Kakashi shook his head, a little life creeping back into his gaze. "I still can't believe they chose _you _for this mission."

Obito bristled. "Hey! I'm a perfectly good spy."

"You and subtle cannot be put into the same sentence without 'is not' separating them."

Obito growled. "Jerk."

He crossed his arms childishly and stuck his tongue out at Kakahi, even though he didn't doubt the truth of the other's words.

Kakashi's eyes saddened again, and all the humor seeped from them, leaving only emptiness behind. Neither could hide from the agonizing fact that this was good-bye. Possibly forever.

"Don't get yourself killed."

Obito snorted. "I won't. I'm not a total idiot you know."

Kakashi shrugged. "I know. It's Tobi I'm worried about."

Obito dredged up a smile. "Tobi'll be fine."

"I still think Tobi is a little obvious," Kakashi muttered, peering at Obito with narrowed eyes.

Obito huffed in mock indignation. "Is not."

He'd wanted to call his character Tobito, but Kakashi had put his foot down, stating that the name was so obvious even the stupidest of genin could figure out the meaning behind it. Grudgingly, Obito had shortened the name to Tobi. Kakashi still didn't approve, but had to admit it was better than Tobito.

Kakashi didn't have the strength to argue and the world lapsed into silence yet again.

It was with great reluctance that Obito broke it. "I'd better go," he murmured sadly, glancing at the color-streaked horizon. "The sun's coming up fast."

Kakashi looked like he wanted to protest, but kept himself silent, nodding instead. Obito sucked in another deep breath and pulled the mask out from the folds of drab clothes, securing it tightly over his face. The one eyehole narrowed his vision drastically, but he didn't care. The less they saw of his face, the better.

Kakashi took a few steps forward, bridging the gap between them. He stopped directly in front of Obito, hesitantly extending a hand. His fingers brushed the mask, feeling the spirals etched onto the surface.

"What color is it?" He asked softly.

Obito beamed. "Orange."

Kakashi blanched, withdrawing his hand and glaring at his teammate in open disbelief. "Orange? You picked orange? Why not something discreet? Like black or white?"

"Nah," Obito waved his hand in casual disagreement. "Really isn't my style. Certainly isn't Tobi's either."

Kakashi heaved an exasperated sigh. "Fine, moron. It's your funeral."

Obito grinned widely beneath the mask, ignoring the insulting words. "They won't suspect a thing. I guarantee it."

Kakashi didn't respond, sorrow darkening his gaze again. "I guess … this is good-bye."

Obito's smile slipped from his face. "Yeah." It was a quiet whisper filled with heartache. "For now."

Kakahsi's hand clenched into a trembling fist. "Take care of yourself, Obito."

"I will," Obito promised solemnly.

He turned to go, then paused, running an idea briefly through his head, juding the merit of it.

Kakashi noticed his hesitation. "What is it?"

Obito spun around and threw his arms around Kakashi, pulling his best friend close. Kakashi tensed, startled. "Obito…?"

"Shut up. I don't know if I'm going to get to do this again, so just grin and bear it."

Kakashi relaxed, slowly wrapping his arms around Obito, returning the embrace. Unshed tears glimmered in the corners of his eyes, but he stubbornly held them back.

"O-okay." The word felt thick, weighted down with emotion.

"Don't let anything happen to Rin. Promise me you'll take care of her."

"I promise. And you … take care of yourself. Come home in one piece."

Obito sniffed, a few tears sliding down his face beneath the protective shield of the mask. "I promise."

Slowly, they stepped apart, regarding each other with deep regret for a long moment.

Then, summoning his resolve, Obito whirled and catapulted into the trees, bounding away without a backward glance.

Kakashi remained in his place, feet anchored to the ground, listening to him go.

"See you around … Obito," he whispered to the empty trees, hoping the wind would carry the final farewell to his friend.

For now Uchiha Obito was gone. In his place was simply a masked man called Tobi.

* * *

That's all for now, folks! Sorry I didn't have Rin in it. It was easier to do it with two people and Kakashi and Obito worked the best.


	5. Irony

**AN: **Sorry it's so short. I'm tired.

Continuing on with my whole Tobi/Obito theory. And look, more humor!

Enjoy. And review! ... Please?

* * *

**Title: **Irony

**Genre: **Humor

**Rating:** K+

**Summary: **_Life has a strange irony to it, particularly Uchiha Obito's._

* * *

When Obito was first introduced to Deidara, he felt nervous. Not nearly as nervous as when he'd met Kisame for the first time, but uneasy all the same. There was a certain glint to the man's eyes that screamed, "Don't mess with me." And at first, Obito was happy to oblige.

But, as time wore on, the look reminded him more and more of Kakashi and the more playful side of him began dominate his caution.

Could he get a rise out of Deidara like Kakashi? He knew he had a unique talent when it came to severely annoying his silver-haired teammate and Obito was dying to see how long it would take for Deidara's wall of indifference to crumble.

The first prank he pulled involved water, an insanely early hour, and garnered a lot of yelling. Obito was only slightly sated. He was sure he could get more out of Deidara than that.

As the years worn on and he continued to consistently land himself on the artist's bad side, Obito supposed he should feel a certain amount of sympathy for Deidara. After all, Tobi was Uchiha Obito times ten and he knew for a fact that Kakashi would have a nervous breakdown if he were subjected to such treatment.

Under the circumstances, Deidara had held up amazingly well.

And he was surprisingly ingenious about his retaliation. Even Obito had to admit that choking him with feet was nothing short of brilliant.

Not even Kakashi would have thought that one up.

But no amount of bodily harm would make the Uchiha stop. A) It was far too much fun to see Deidara let loose and B) a part of him knew that the artist _needed _this. Just like Kakashi needed it.

A distraction from his pain, a way to let go and just have some fun. Deidara could deny it all he liked (Kakashi did enough) but Obito knew the criminal got a kick out of their verbal battles. (If they could be called that. It usually just involved Obito saying stupid things and dodging any following attacks.) They way he smirked and his eyes danced just a bit gave it all away.

It's good to be reminded you're human.

The irony wasn't lost on Obito. Deidara was just like Kakashi.

He still felt sorry for him, though, more than he ever would for his silver-haired teammate. Obito went to far greater extremes with Deidara then he ever had with Kakashi.

Partly because it was a blast and partly because the personality of Tobi demanded it.

Then, one day, Deidara pulled out the clay.

Obito was left clinging to the remains of a tree in the middle of a new hole punched in the forest trying to put out the fire on his cloak and marveling at the fact he was still alive.

All sympathy, guilt and remorse vanished in that instant. Because if Tobi was Obito times ten, then Deidara was Kakashi with bombs.

And that was a terrifying thing to behold.

* * *

I will update Shards tomorrow. Too tired to do it now. Heh. Hope you enjoyed. Thank you for all your reviews. They make my day.


	6. Legacy

**AN: **At last, another one-shot for you guys. This weekend was crazy so I had practically no time to write. Plus, I don't really think this is my best. Something about just bugs me. **sigh. **Anyway, please let me know what you think. Reviews are the fuel that keeps my inspiration going!

* * *

**Title: **Legacy

**Genre: **General

**Rating:** K+

**Summary: **_The world looked at him and saw a demon. They looked and saw the Fourth._

* * *

The first time Rin held him, she was sobbing uncontrollably—aching, empty, and so terribly heartbroken. Everything had shattered, unraveled, and ended in one cruel night. Beyond the hospital windows, ebony smoke draped a dark shroud across the sky and flames from the burning village extended fiery arms high into the air, celebrating a demon's victory. Chaos reigned freely as everywhere, buildings burned and people died, so many people—ninja and civilians alike. The demon was gone, purged by a hero, but agony and despair still prevailed. Nothing was left but shattered dreams, ruined lives, and the rubble of a once great village.

The baby wailed shrilly in her arms—terrified—and she tried to comfort him, pushing down her own fears and desperately ignoring the fact that he was _gone. _Her sensei, her hero, her father-figure, her Hokage—gone in one glorious flash of heroism and self-sacrifice. His death tore a gaping wound in her heart but she tried to stop the bleeding, reminding herself pain wasn't all he left behind. Hope was still here, a tiny bundle in her trembling arms.

So Rin held him close, her sensei's legacy, and sang softly until he quieted, noting the blond hair and the bright eyes as blue as the sky. Minato's eyes.

"Don't cry." Her voice was hoarse and broken, still thick with emotion and repressed tears, but the words came out all right and he seemed to hear them, blinking up at her with those deep, deep eyes. "Don't cry, Naruto."

She almost laughed at the name, in spite of her heartache. Naming their son after a character in a novel was just like Kushina and Minato. A character in a novel and ramen. How utterly fitting.

Nartuo fell asleep in her arms and she smiled through her tears, looking out the window at the stars peeking their way through the slowly dissipating smoke and the calm descending over the village as the fires lost their life, flickering away into nothing.

It was all over.

Sadness was the price to see it end. Sadness and one act of sacrifice she knew would be forever remembered. Because of this, the world would never forget the Yondaime Hokage. She just hoped Namikaze Minato would be remembered as well. Shifting Naruto in her arms, Rin narrowed her eyes in silent determination. She would make sure her sensei was remembered. Someday, she'd tell his son all about him.

_Somehow, sensei, I think he's going to be just like you._

* * *

The first time Obito was furious with the village was six years after the Yondaime's death, when he found Naruto crumpled in an alley, sobbing into the dirt and covered in fast healing bruises.

He rushed to the child and scooped him up, cradling him in his arms and stroking filthy blond hair in a desperate attempt to erase some of the pain. Small hands fisted in his shirt and tears soaked through the fabric as the sobs slowly began to cease.

"O-oniisan…" Naruto finally hiccupped and hot anger coursed through Obito's veins. How could people do this to a child?

"Yes?" It was a fight to keep his voice even and level.

"Why … why do they hate me?" It was such an innocent question from such an innocent child that Obito hated to lie. But Sarutobi's stupid law demanded it.

"I don't know. They're just stupid." He snorted, trying to smile as Naruto looked up at him through tear-soaked eyes.

Naruto sniffed pitfully, wiping a grubby hand across an equally grimy face, smearing dirt in brown line from his left eye down across his nose and cheek. "They called me a demon." Obito winced, pain tearing at his heart, dampening the rage briefly. Naruto bit his lip, fear welling in his blue orbs. "Am I a monster, oniisan?"

"No!" Obito exclaimed forcefully, tightening his grip on Naruto, desperately wanting to protect him from the horrors of such a cruel world. Naruto stared up at him from beneath messy golden bangs, struggling to decide if Obito was angry with him. Obito noticed the growing fear and grinned down at the boy, reassuring him silently. "You're not a monster." He tilted his head to the side, allowing the grin to spread all the way to the corners of his face. "You're Naruto. Not nearly scary enough to be a monster."

The child brightened, giggling quietly. "Yeah!" He proclaimed, life returning quickly to his face. "I'm just a little kid."

Obito nodded, digging his fingers into Naruto's sides and chuckling as he laughed, trying to worm away from the ticklish touch. After a few minutes of torture, he stopped, letting Naruto regain his breath. Giggles still escaped the boy every few seconds but he gradually calmed down, resting his head on Obito's chest.

"I don't like them." The words held passion and conviction and Obito flinched at the dark undercurrent lurking in the innocent voice.

"I know," he mumbled, rubbing soothing circles on Naruto's back. "But you shouldn't hate them."

Naruto stiffened, anger tightening his muscles. "Why not?" he hissed into Obito's vest, hands clenching tightly at his sides.

"Hate won't change anything, Naruto. Instead, you should try to earn their respect."

The anger remained, but curiousity crept in alongside it and Naruto raised his head—a puzzled frown twisting his face. "How?"

Obito smirked. "By becoming the best."

Naruto's eyebrows knit together in concentration. "Like the Hokages?"

"Yeah!" Obito agreed enthusiastically. "They are the best and strongest ninja in the village. Everyone looked up to them."

Something erupted in Naruto's eyes—a determination that roared with the strength of a fire. He looked just like Minato, right then. Ready to take on the world and everything it threw at him with courageous abandon. "Then I'm going to become the Hokage and protect the village!"

Obito felt tears pricking at his eyes even as a trembling smile forced his lips upward, feeling proud, angry, and sad all at once.

"I know you will," he whispered.

Naruto smiled and for a second, he was looking at the Fourth. It emptied and filled him and he desperately wished the village would take the time to see everything he did in this precious child. He wasn't the shadow of a demon but of the greatest hero they'd ever known.

_Oh, sensei, if only you could see. He's so much like you. Even now._

* * *

The first time Kakashi was too proud for words was the day Naruto graduated from the Academy. The little blond firecracker burst into their apartment at the ungodly hour of six a.m., yelling at the top of his lungs. Kakashi hauled himself out of bed and stumbled toward the source of the noise, trying to ignore the pinpricks of pain running through his body. The mission hadn't been an easy one and he'd only just returned early that morning. As soon as he reached the living room, he felt something crash into him, arms wrapping around his waist in a tight hug. In an impressive display of skill, Kakashi managed to keep himself from tumbling to the floor and brushed his fingers through Naruto's hair, puzzled.

"Naruto?" He asked softly.

"I passed!" Naruto exclaimed, voice slightly muffled by Kakashi's shirt but still deafening to the jounins sensitive ears.

Kakashi smiled, feeling pride surge in his veins. But something was wrong. Naruto felt stiff and his voice, though excited, held a note of pain impossible to ignore.

"What's wrong?" Kakashi asked, sinking down to the boy's eye level and silently wishing he could see Naruto's face.

Naruto swallowed audibly and Kakashi placed a tentative hand on his shoulder, feeling the child trembling beneath his fingertips. "M-Mizuki-sensei told me … that I'm … the Kyuubi."

Kakashi closed his eyes at the agony prevalent in those simple words, warring against the pain and anger scrambling for dominance within him. Naruto plowed on, still shaking and sounding so horribly broken. "I-Iruka-sensei said that w-wasn't true but I'm not s-sure. Maybe that's why the villagers hate me. Maybe … I deserve it. Even though … Iruka-sensei let me pass."

Kakashi moved his hand from Naruto's shoulder to his forehead, trailing his fingers over the smooth metal and deep lines of the Leaf symbol. "Iruka wouldn't have given this to if he didn't think you deserved it. You aren't the Kyuubi, Naruto. And you never will be. You're a ninja."

Something changed in Naruto's stance; Kakashi could feel it and the jounin smiled softly, knowing what it meant. "I am…" Naruto murmured, struggling to process the words. "I am a ninja."

Kakashi nodded, the pride returning. He knew all along Naruto could do it. He was far too much like Minato to fail. "Yes."

"I did it!" Pure joy filled the words, untouched by pain or sadness and Kakashi laughed brightly. "I'm a ninja!"

He knew the boy wasn't entirely correct. There was still one more test to pass. But he kept the knowledge to himself, unwilling to ruin the moment or Naruto's wondrous enthusiasm. Instead, he pulled the boy close, encompassing him in a strong embrace.

"I'm proud of you," he whispered, emotion coagulating his words. "Very, very proud."

Naruto melted into the hug, burying his face in Kakashi's shoulder, reveling in the warmth and love that felt like home and family. He said nothing for no words could ever match the value of the ones Kakashi just uttered. He'd waited all his life to hear those words.

Kakashi felt Naruto's grin and smiled as well, knowing this was the start of an epic journey. Naruto was going to be every bit as great as his father.

_You'd be proud, Sensei. He's going to rock the world. Just like you._

* * *

The first time the village truly saw Uzumaki Naruto was the day Tsundae announced him to be the next Hokage. At first there was outrage and vicious rumors spread like wildfire through the village. How could the Godaime let a _demon_ become her successor? Not many understood, shaking their heads and wondering what the great Leaf village was being reduced to. Others, however, Konoha's future, just smiled, knowing their comrade was the best ninja to lead their village. His love for them all, his willingness to sacrifice everything so they could be safe, secured their loyalty. He'd throw it all away in a heartbeat to protect them and they would do the same for him.

Gradually, the village began to open their eyes, surprised at the respect the younger generation held for the container. They looked at him in a new light, dug deeper than they ever had before and found something amazing. New rumors began to fly, about how much Uzuamaki Naruto looked like the Fourth. The eyes the same hue as the sky, the unruly hair as yellow as the sun, and the contagious smile that was confidence, strength, hope and _life_. The zeal of life, the deep love of the village, the willingness to sacrifice—the same, all the same.

The villagers shook their heads and marveled at this, wondering if there was a connection between the two. And over time, they stopped seeing the Kyuubi and started seeing the Yondaime in everything Naruto said and did. Slowly, their Rokudaime became a hero and they could find no fault with him—praising his skill, claiming he was the greatest ninja to ever grace their village. The Yondaime had never left them, they realized. His legacy, burning bright and clear, was with them all along.

Rin looked at all this and smiled through her tears, happiness making her heart sing, Obito gritted his teeth and shook his head in angry disbelief over the hypocrisy of the village, and Kakashi just shook his head and closed his eyes in silent contentment, knowing at last, Minato's dream for his son had come true.

_They finally see it, Sensei. He's a hero. Just like you._

* * *


	7. Monument

**AN: **Only ONE person reviewed for the last one-shot. I guess it really wasn't my best after all. A special thanks to Eldr-Fire for reviewing! Here's another sad one, but I'll get back into humor and even some romance soon.

* * *

**Title: **Monument

**Genre: **Drama/Angst

**Rating: **K

**Summary: **_They should have carved him smiling._

* * *

She hated the Hokage monument. Hated it because of one face etched in stone like it was etched in her memories. The Yondaime Hokage, the village had called him. She had always referred to him as Sensei. She had known him before the legend, before the fame, before the sacrifice. Back when he was a mere jounin caught in a war, trying his hardest to keep himself and his students alive.

The village thought of the Fourth and remembered a coat emblazoned with flames, grim determined eyes and one glorious act of self-sacrifice.

Rin thought of the Fourth and remembered ramen stands, far-away villages, nights around a campfire listening to his stories, and a goofy grin that outshone the sun.

His face had been added to the Monument after the Kyuubi and the severity of the times reflected in the carving. He looked serious, angry even—a look he had only ever worn in battle.

The carving added to the legend, made him seem like some god, serenely looking down on the world of mortals. It made him seem inhuman, unapproachable, distant.

She remembered how human he had been—human enough to make them pay after he ate fourteen bowls of ramen, human enough to tell lame jokes, human enough to fall asleep during a meeting, human enough to sneak out of his office to avoid paperwork, human enough to fall head over heels in love, human enough to weep when her life was cut short, human enough to _die_.

She wished the village could remember him the way she did. She hated the monument for what it had turned him into. Now, people looked up at the face on the mountain and saw merely a legend. Few villagers even remembered his _name. _His was simply the Yondaime Hokage, the ninja who had died for his village. But she remembered everything: his name--_Namikaze Minato--_the way he tripped over his robes when during his inauguration, the look on his face the day he went to fight the Kyuubi, knowing he would never return. It was all there, bold and clear. The tears, the laughter, the heartache, the joy, _everything. _

But the village he loved more than life itself had turned him into something he _wasn't._

They should have carved him smiling. That would have been an accurate depiction.

He always smiled—even after almost watching them die, even after countless friends fell in battle, even after a long hard war and dozens of funerals, even after the world looked like it was about to end.

That smile was his best trait. It hadn't been the fancy jutsus, the good looks, the flashy attitude. It had been his smile that encouraged men to press on, to do more, give more.

It had been his smile that had gotten them through the war.

She hated the Monument and knew that he would have too. She could almost see him glaring at it, crossing his arms childishly, and declaring that it made him look like, "a stuffy old man."

She hated the monument, but there it would remain, forever, stuck in time.

The village would continue to remember him the wrong way, forget all that had made him great, and spurn the one true legacy he had left behind. And only three people who had grown up under his care would remember the truth.

She hated the monument.

They should have carved him smiling.

* * *


	8. Students

**AN: **Okay, like I promised, more humor! I hope you enjoy it. It's a little ... random, I guess, but nothing too outlandish.

Read on!

* * *

**Title: **Students

**Genre: **General/Humor

**Rating: **K

**Summary: **_Teaching at the Academy was a lot harder than he had anticipated._

* * *

They said he needed a break. They told him the missions were becoming too difficult and they couldn't let him go solo. They told him a lot of things, but Kakashi knew the council was merely trying to force him aside. They wanted "real" jounins—ones without handicaps—doing the missions. He was too much of a hassle. He thought about fighting them, insisting that after ten and a half years he was perfectly capable of handling himself, but decided it wasn't worth his time.

When Obito found out they had demoted him to a teaching position, Kakashi barely restrained him from doing something drastic, violent, and stupid. In the end, he was forced to tie his teammate to a chair to get to him to calm down. He explained to Obito that he didn't mind teaching. It was a new challenge and he did feel like he needed a break. He didn't want to burden the other jounins, either. This was a perfect arrangement. He told Obito a lot of things, but Obito knew Kakashi was frustrated and humiliated by the council's lack of faith in him.

But they were the leaders of Konoha and, the Yondaime's students or not, there was little two jounins could do in protest.

So, Kakashi found himself in front of the Academy on a crisp Monday morning, wondering what the council would do to him if he fled. For some reason, a group of nine-year-olds seemed far more daunting than missing nin.

Steeling himself, the blind jounin walked inside the compound. It took him a while to find his classroom and he only found it because another teacher saw him wandering aimlessly through the halls (apparently he passed her classroom several times) and asked if he needed assistance.

It took him another few minutes to work up the courage to open the door. It sounded like there was a herd of elephants behind it, not class of children. Finally, taking a deep breath, he slid open the door. As he did, something hard landed on his head, bouncing off onto the floor. Dust filled his nose and he sneezed, glad the mask protected his mouth. In front of him, giggles echoed through the classroom and one loud voice rose above the noise.

"Ha! You fell for it!"

Kakashi blinked and stooped down, picking up the thing that had hit him. He felt the rough cloth of an eraser under his fingertips and frowned. It was a low trick, putting an eraser in the opening between the door and the wall. Obviously these students were not sympathetic to his handicap.

Which was exactly what he wanted.

Walking forward into the classroom, ignoring the chatter, he set the eraser on his desk and turned to face the class. "All right!" He yelled. "Time to settle down!"

No one paid any attention to him. The volume rose an octave. Something flew past his head, grazing his shoulder and smacking into the chalkboard behind him. Kakashi blinked in surprise before gritting his teeth and fighting the urge to fry them all. With a long-suffering sigh, the jounin channeled chakra to his fist and sent it crashing down onto the desk. The impact echoed like thunder through the small room as the desk cracked and splintered.

The noise stopped as every student turned wide-eyes to the ruined desk and then to its destroyer. "I said, 'it's time to settle down'," Kakashi remarked calmly.

The students gulped and slowly took their seats, frightened by this new teacher. Only one blond, near the back of the class kept a smirk on his face, watching the jounin intently.

"Good," Kakashi said, once the class was seated. "Next time listen to me when I'm talking to you." He moved to the desk. The previous instructor had left papers explaining what the class was studying. The man had said they were in the top drawer, which was proving difficult to open.

Kakashi tugged the drawer several times. It didn't budge even a fraction of an inch. Snickering from the back of the room caught his attention. This time, Kakashi didn't bother looking up. "You glued the drawers shut, didn't you?" he asked wearily.

The snickering grew louder. Kakashi rolled his eyes and decided to sit down. Only, the chair wasn't where it should have been. Instead of sitting, Kakashi crashed to the floor. The students exploded with laughter and all control Kakashi had on the classroom vanished in seconds. The blind jounin ground his teeth in frustration and banged his head against the desk.

It was going to be a long day.

* * *

Uchiha Obito frowned when he entered the apartment, nervous for two reasons. One, the lights were off and, blind or not, Kakashi always turned the lights on after dark. Two, there was not a sound coming from the apartment. Usually, Obito could hear Kakashi moving around. But tonight, all was quiet.

His treacherous brain gleefully supplying images and ideas of everything that could have happened—most of them involving kidnapping or death—Obito ran down the dark hall, not bothering to remove his sandals or his pack. He skidded around the corner, banging into the wall with a muffled 'thump' and frantically scanning the darkened apartment for signs of his teammate.

A silhouette was slumped over at the table, utterly still. Obito's mind conjured up weapons protruding from him, blood all over the table, and a dozen other horrible things. Stumbling, Obito moved his hand along the wall, desperately searching for the light switch, needing to see yet afraid of what he would find. His fingers found the switch and light flooded the room.

Reluctantly, Obito turned his head toward his teammate's still form, cringing at the scenarios provided by his runaway mind. None of them became reality. Obito breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Kakashi's shoulders rising and falling and knew that his teammate was unharmed, merely fast asleep.

Walking toward the table, Obito removed his pack, holding it high over his head. The Uchiha smirked childishly and let the heavy pack dropped on the table. The bang shook the table and the floor, echoing loudly through the apartment. Kakashi bolted upright so fast his chair tipped over backwards, spilling him onto the floor.

Obito doubled over with laughter, unable to contain himself. Kakashi clambered to his feet, glaring at his teammate. Obito looked up and froze at the look of pure anger in Kakashi's onyx eyes. Usually there was outrage and a hint of mirth but never … never did Kakashi look at him like that. It was a look reserved for enemies … or the council.

"Kakashi," he said, laughter dying, smile slipping off his face. "Kakashi, what's wrong?"

Kakashi sighed, picking up the chair and slumping into it. "I hate teaching," he mumbled. Obito swallowed, moving to sit next to his friend.

"Had a bad day?"

"You could say that."

"Did they play any pranks on you?"

"They dropped an eraser on my head, glued the drawers on my desk shut, hid my chair and the chalk for the chalk board, made up things they had been studying, threw things at me, refused to be quiet, switched places on me numerous times, moved things around in my classroom, broke the window, went to the bathroom and never came back, passed notes behind my back, made rude comments, laughed at me, put a wire across the door when I went out to get something, and were rambunctious and disrespectful." Kakashi paused to take a breath.

Obito blinked. "Oh, is that all?"

Kakashi looked at him and deadpanned. "No, they switched the test documents with blank pieces of paper and made spitballs out of their homework."

Obito winced. "I'm sorry for dropping the bag on you and making your chair tip over."

"It's fine. Just a wonderful conclusion to a wonderful day."

"They're brats aren't they?"

Kakashi nodded. "They're monsters. I'm a jounin. I've fought in a war, been in ANBU, gone on S-ranked missions, and faced down all kinds of insane criminals. Yet I was outsmarted by a bunch on nine-year-olds." Kakashi slammed his head down on the table and sighed.

"It will get better."

"I have to do this again tomorrow," Kakashi muttered, ignoring him.

Obito laughed nervously. "I'm glad I'm not you."

Kakashi groaned.

Now he saw the truth, the council wasn't giving him a break. They were punishing him.

* * *


	9. Cheapskate

**Hey guys, I know it's been forever. Heh, heh. I wanted to finish Shards first, so this would be more understandable to everyone. Now that, that's out of the way, I'm returning to Seasons. This probably won't be updated too regularly, but I will post when inspiration strikes. I doubt I will ever run out of ideas, it's just finding the time to transfer them from my head to the computer. **

**Thanks for all your support so far! I hope this makes you laugh. **

**P.S. For comprehension purposes, the conversation begins with Kakashi. :D**

* * *

**Title: **Cheapskate

**Genre: **Humor

**Rating: **K

**Summary: **_Cheapskate: (noun) __a person who is stingy and miserly_.

* * *

"It's your turn to pay."

"No way!"

"I was in the hospital all week long. It's only fair."

"Nuh-uh. You were in a bed all week, sleeping. I was slaving away on A rank missions all week long!"

"Therefore you earned money and should pay."

"Oh yeah? Well, Tsunade-sama felt so sorry for you because the mission labels got screwed up and you came back looking like a pincushion with a blazing fever that she gave you sick pay! You've got plenty of money."

"I still need to buy a birthday gift for Rin. I've been saving for that. You got her one already."

"Nice try. I need that money for other things too you know!"

Smirk. "Things like this?"

"No, not just things like this. Groceries, bills, new weapons. Practical expenses."

"I paid the bills all last month, Obito."

"Well…"

"And bought groceries because you just had to go get your wallet stolen on a mission."

"I caught the guy!"

"After your money fell in the river and got washed downstream."

"That wasn't my fault!"

Smirk. Arched eyebrow. "Really? If I recall you were the one who tackled the guy, who ended up dropping the wallet into the river. And you failed to notice until it had gone over the waterfall."

Blush. Splutter. "W-well, it was his fault for dropping it!"

Eye-smile. "Right."

"You're mocking me, aren't you?"

Wider eye-smile. "No, not at all."

"Kakashi!"

Smirk. Angry muttering.

"Besides, I offered to pay all the bills this month. That's most of my paycheck! I've been cooking and cleaning while you were in a hospital. You owe it to me."

Scowl. "I couldn't even, sit up or eat on my own and people wouldn't stop bothering me. Not to mention Jiraiya, who insisted that he entertain me with portions of his blasted book."

Snicker. "Yeah, and you managed to hurl a metal water pitcher right at his head. He fell out the window."

Smirk. "_Through _the window actually."

"So, therefore it wasn't as torturous as you made it out to be. I had the rougher time. _You're _paying."

"I'm going to have to contribute to pay for the water damage you caused when you flooded the apartment while I was away."

"That was not my fault! The dishwasher broke!"

"Because you put twice the normal amount of soap in! Now we have to pay for a new and we always means _me. _You're paying."

"I barely have any money!"

Smirk. "Then you shouldn't have eaten three bowls."

Indignant squawk. "Hey, I just dragged myself in from a mission that lasted three days. Three _days _of running nonstop. And you just walked out of the hospital. I'm exhausted and starving. It's the least you can do."

"You are banking your arguments on the assumption that I am a generous person."

Pout. "Stingy … stupid … arrogant … _miser!" _

"You've resorted to demeaning adjectives. Does this mean I win?"

"Of course not! I haven't given up yet!"

"Well that's nice, but you're still going to pay."

Snort. "Nuh-uh. I'm not paying. I deserve special treatment for everything I've been through in the last week. Tsunade-sama is a slave driver!"

"I was the one stuck in bed full of holes."

"You were doped up on pain meds, you barely felt anything."

"I had to endure three full hours of Jiraiya."

"I had to endure five full hours of escorting a whiny nobleman!"

"Jiraiya trumps any nobleman."

Pout. "Well…"

Smirk. Angry muttering.

"You got to spend a ton of time with Rin! I've barely seen her."

"So pay and go visit her. She has the day off, I believe."

"Humph. Like Rin ever takes a day off."

"Tsunade made her."

"Well … she would be upset at you for trying to make me pay after I dragged myself all over the country for three days straight."

Smirk. "You're grasping at straws. Just pay and spare us both the frustration of sitting here all day."

"You pay!"

"Now you've really lost."

"I'm _not _going to pay!"

"You ate the most."

"I was starving! You got fed well in the hospital."

"You know how horrible hospital food is."

"Rin probably snuck food in to you!"

"I was pratically a mummy. I deserved good food."

"And you're fine now. So you pay."

"No."

"I'm not paying!"

"Yes, you are."

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

"No! I'm not!"

"Yes, you are."

"No! I'm—"

"BOYS!"

Turn. Blink. Uh-oh. Rin.

"If I pay will you both just stop arguing!"

Blink. Mad Rin. Uh-OH.

Rapid nods.

Snort. "Good. Honestly, you both are the worst cheapskates I've ever seen."

Innocent expressions.

Snort. Louder. "Don't give me that! Let's go. Tsunade-sama wants to see us." Angry muttering. Stomping. Dust clouds.

Whisper. "Wow, what put her in such a bad mood."

"She's most likely mad about her day off."

"Yeah. That's probably it."

Walking. "Hey… Kakashi?"

"Yeah?"

"You're paying next time."

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

"No…"

"BOYS!!"

_**UH-OH**_.


End file.
